Meet Bob Bivins, The New Chairman Of The Brandon Chamber Of Commerce

Bob Bivins is an attorney, philanthropist, cattle rancher and Chairman of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce for 2012.

Bob Bivins, a long time resident of the greater Brandon area, is the Chairman of the Brandon Chamber of Commerce for the 2012 year. Bivins, an attorney whose practice focuses on commercial, business law and real estate transactions, moved his firm (Bivins & Hemenway, P.A.) to Valrico in 2007.

“I love it here. Brandon is unique. It is very relationship-driven. In other places, you never get to know your neighbors. People here are willing to help one another, especially small businesses,” said Bivins.

Bivins has been a member of the chamber since 1996 when he went through Leadership Brandon.

“The main purpose of the Chamber is to be a resource and an advocate for small business. If a small business owner needs to or wants to network, the Chamber is the place to go,” said Bivins. He went on to tell a story of how the chamber assists small businesses. “A business had its driveway torn up due to construction. Access to the business was blocked. The owner called the chamber. The problem was fixed that day.” This is illustrative of the fact that the chamber is a resource for all area businesses and not just members.

As chairman, Bivins wants to ensure that the Chamber offers programs and educational pieces that are relevant to what members need today. Bivins said, “We want to make sure that members find value. Just because we have done something for years does not mean that the program should continue if it is not relevant to today’s business climate.”

In addition to his practice and work with the chamber, Bivins finds time to be a generous philanthropist and gives his time to a variety of organizations such as the Y and ECHO. Bivins is also a long time member of the Optimist Club.
In his spare time, Bivins cares for approximately 45 head of cattle. “I love living in Lithia. Taking care of the animals helps reduce my stress and keeps my blood pressure down,” explained Bivins.